{"id":16739,"date":"2023-04-14T10:51:51","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T14:51:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/?post_type=oral-history&#038;p=16739"},"modified":"2023-05-29T23:10:51","modified_gmt":"2023-05-30T03:10:51","slug":"ty-thompson-2021","status":"publish","type":"oral-history","link":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/oral-history\/ty-thompson-2021\/","title":{"rendered":"Ty Thompson Interview &#8211; Family Ties &#8211; 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"16739\" class=\"elementor elementor-16739\" data-elementor-post-type=\"oral-history\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-55d43b0c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"55d43b0c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-73cf7f6b\" data-id=\"73cf7f6b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-170f4234 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"170f4234\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Family Ties: Stories That Inspire<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6193d16d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"6193d16d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2c375894 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2c375894\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4ff93d82\" data-id=\"4ff93d82\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-457f361c elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-eael-sticky-video\" data-id=\"457f361c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;zoomIn&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"eael-sticky-video.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"eael-sticky-video-wrapper eaelsv-overlay-visibility-\"><div class=\"eael-sticky-video-player2\" data-sticky=\"yes\" data-position=\"bottom-right\" data-sheight=\"197\" data-swidth=\"350\" data-scroll_height=\"70\" data-autoplay=\"no\" data-overlay=\"no\">\n\t\t\t\t<div\n\t\t\tid=\"eaelsv-player-457f361c\"\n\t\t\tdata-plyr-provider=\"vimeo\"\n\t\t\tdata-plyr-embed-id=\"638824275\"\n\t\t\tdata-plyr-config=\"{&quot;storage&quot;: {&quot;enabled&quot;: false, &quot;key&quot;: &quot;plyr&quot;}, &quot;autoplay&quot;:0, &quot;muted&quot;:0, &quot;loop&quot;: {&quot;active&quot;: false}}\"\n\t\t><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"eaelsv-sticky-player-close\"><i class=\"fas fa-times-circle\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5aa1147f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"5aa1147f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Ty Thompson<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-78b11e81 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"78b11e81\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h3 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Interview by Natalie Saldarriaga,\nAugust 31, 2021<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-377bd33e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"377bd33e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-462570ca elementor-invisible\" data-id=\"462570ca\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInLeft&quot;,&quot;animation_mobile&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a882ad5 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"a882ad5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm elementor-animation-grow\" href=\"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/family-ties-reflection-ty-thompson\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">READ REFLECTION<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-193d42b8 elementor-invisible\" data-id=\"193d42b8\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInRight&quot;,&quot;animation_mobile&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-61ae109c elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"61ae109c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm elementor-animation-grow\" href=\"#transcript\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">READ TRANSCRIPT<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-7df9f248 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7df9f248\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-1c91d32d elementor-invisible\" data-id=\"1c91d32d\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInUp&quot;,&quot;animation_mobile&quot;:&quot;fadeIn&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2eaa6bc elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"2eaa6bc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm elementor-animation-grow\" href=\"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/collection\/family-ties\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">BACK TO PROJECT LIBRARY<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-10a4e150 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"10a4e150\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-441d7afe\" data-id=\"441d7afe\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f09264f elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"2f09264f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container{height:100%;width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty{position:relative;min-height:22px;min-width:22px}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon{position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;margin:auto;padding:0;width:22px;height:22px}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3477e423 elementor-widget elementor-widget-menu-anchor\" data-id=\"3477e423\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"menu-anchor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\nbody.elementor-page .elementor-widget-menu-anchor{margin-bottom:0}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-menu-anchor\" id=\"transcript\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2ed0ac4d elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2ed0ac4d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInDown&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Full Transcript<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-55318d80 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"55318d80\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p class=\"p1\"><i>*The video interview has been edited due to technical interruptions*<\/i><\/p><p class=\"p4\">[0:03] Natalie Saldarriaga: Okay, so please introduce yourself. Tell us your name, where you\u2019re from.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[0:09] Ty Thompson:Hi. My name is Ty Thompson and I reside in Bergen County, New Jersey.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[0:15] Natalie: Okay, and how would you describe your cultural background?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[0:21] Ty: Mos Def said it best, \u201cI\u2019m black on both sides.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[0:24] Natalie: Okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[0:25] Ty: The meaning of what he said intrinsically and outward, but also I mean\u2026 My paternal family is from New York City. Um, his father was New Yorker, but from the West Indies. And my paternal grandmother is from Augusta, Georgia. There\u2019s a whole story with that I just don\u2019t have all of the information, but that would be a part two for you. Then on my maternal side, both of my grandparents are from Virginia. My grandmother from South Boston, Virginia, Halifax County. Where I ended up leaving New York and moving to. Um, and my grandfather, my maternal grandfather, was from I think it\u2019s an unincorporated area of Virginia known as Zuni, but it\u2019s toward, um, the Tidewater area. Probably like closer, the closest city would be Suffolk and that\u2019s one of the seven cities in the Tidewater. But it\u2019s country. They\u2019re peanut sharecroppers<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:29] Natalie: Okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:30] Ty: And the story centers around my grandfather. My maternal grandfather and his maternal Uncle Willie Elam.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:42] Natalie: Okay, and..<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:43] Ty: Archie Warren. My grandfather\u2019s name was Archie Warren Sr.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:47] Natalie: Okay, and did you meet your grandfather?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:50] Ty: Uh, my grandfather had a heavy hand in raising me that why\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:54] Natalie: Okay.\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:55] Ty: Yeah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:56] Natalie: Okay. Okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:56] Ty: When I left New York to move to Virginia I was with them.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[1:59] Natalie: I see, I see. Okay. Alright. Alright, so go ahead and whenever\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:02] Ty: Oh, sorry. My mother, but my mother was from New York as well. She was from Long Island because that\u2019s where they moved.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:09] Natalie: Oh\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:10] Ty:She\u2019s from South Hampton. My father is from the Bronx. And they met at university. My university, Virginia Union. My father was a senior my mother was a\u2026 My mother was a senior, my father was a freshman.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:21] Natalie: Okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:22] Ty: So that kinda, yeah. A lot of Southern roots.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:27] Natalie: And, did your mother move to New York after having met your father?\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:32] Ty: No, she cause she moved to New York from Virginia at like age seven.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:37] Natalie: Okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:38] Ty: So when was at university, that I graduated. We all attended Virginia Union University in Richmond, Virginia. That\u2019s where they met. And they, that\u2019s where they met.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:48] Natalie: Okay, I see. But then what would you consider yourself? Like, are you from the South? Like what do you feel the stronger connection\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[2:57] Ty: I\u2019m a New Yorker.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m a New Yorker. You know me Nat I\u2019m <i>del calle <\/i><\/p><p class=\"p4\">[3:04]<i> <\/i>Natalie:<i> <\/i>That\u2019s what I was waiting for that\u2019s why I was like\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[3:07] Ty: [laughs] Come on, you know I, um, I cut my teeth on the East Side of Harlem. So, but I\u2019m a child of\u2026 I was raised by the village so I was everywhere. But I\u2019m a native New Yorker and that\u2019s what I represent, but I love Virginia as well. And I live in Bergen County, the greatest place on Earth, so just throw it all in.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[3:27] Natalie: Okay, a nice mix.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[3:29] Ty: Yeah, yeah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[3:31] Natalie: Alright, so if you\u2019re ready you can go ahead and tell\u2026 well share the story with us.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[3:36] Ty: Okay, it\u2019s not a long, long story. But like I said it\u2019s a story that progresses in years and, um well it really doesn\u2019t. Imma speak on it. So my grandfather A.G. Warren. His mother whom I also I knew, she\u2026 I was around her for a little while. She died when I was six. That\u2019s the first death I ever experienced. Beatrice James, married name. I think her maiden name Elam. She left to go to New York. She met my step-grandfather, but the only grandfather I knew, Jimmy James. She left Virginia and went to New York, settled on Long Island where my mother\u2019s from. And my grandfather and his, my Great-Uncle Stirlee. I don\u2019t know how to spell that. Don\u2019t ask me. I don\u2019t even know if that\u2019s two names or one. You know my people\u2019s Southern so it might have been\u2026 Stirlee was always the\u2026 I met him he died when I was young too, but I met him a couple of times. But they stayed in Zuni with their uncle Willie and this, what\u2026 My grandfather was born in the twenties, yeah the Depression era. So he was raised in the Depression, Roaring Twenties and the end of the Depression, to the thirties. He came of age in the thirties, right. So, as black folk we hear these about how our great-greats had to walk twenty miles to school one way and [laughs] but he literally had to walk. He figured about two miles everyday one way. There was no bus. And him and Uncle Stirlee had to walk everyday. My Uncle Stirlee was older, but my Grandfather Archie was the alpha. Meanwhile the white kids got bused to their school everyday. So, the cliche, my grandfather did have to get to school everyday to bus wood for the stove. But this story really begins with the walk back home. So, two mile walk back home. Mind you I told you the white kids get bused to school so they also get bused from school. Of course they\u2019re home a long time. I mean you figure ten year old boys can walk a couple of miles. So like I said the white boys get bused home. Grandfather, great-uncle walk home. Now, I figure maybe it takes twenty minutes to walk home or whatever. But in the time they\u2019re walking home one day the white boys had already gone home and got on their bikes. And this is a country road now, so it\u2019s not paved. And you know what a ditch is, right? But you from up here. A southern ditch on a country road is like your car run off it\u2019ll crack an axle and it\u2019s done. Like those ditches are kinda deep. So, the white boys got out of school and got their bikes and made like a toll road. Cross the bikes off. Now we going to speak frankly. Like I said I stand behind everything I say and the language is going to get a little\u2026 \u201cNigger walk in the ditch.\u201d My Uncle Stirlee was a playboy, player type he never wanted smoke. My grandfather was a war veteran to be. He always wanted smoke. He was like, \u201cI ain\u2019t walking in no damn ditch.\u201d He was ready to get it in. Uncle Stirlee is like \u201cNah, nah Archie, no, no. Nah.\u201d And he looked at, he looked at my great-uncle and said \u201cAlright, today. Only today,\u201d and he swallowed his pride and he walked in the ditch while those white boys laughed at him. Very next day\u2026 Repeat. What I just told you about the day before. Walk to, white boys get bused, they go to school. Do what they have to do. Come home, walking. White boys get bused and again they are waiting for them. Toll road. \u201cWalk in the nigger,\u201d but Archie told Stirlee he was only going to do it that day. So unbeknownst to Stirlee before they made it back, before they left the schoolhouse, at some point, Pop took his lunch pail and filled it with gravels. Rocks, gravels, whatever dirt was\u2026 closed it up. Come walking down the road, \u201cGet in the ditch nigger,\u201d Archie told them, \u201cNot today.\u201d So one particular white boy stepped up, <i>yammy<\/i>, caught him dead in his face. Split his shit. Split it. Other white boys were terrorized. They went home. That boy did whatever. Archie and Stirlee went back home, to the house. Uncle Willie\u2019s house. Willie Elam, this is where my great-great-uncle comes into play. Now, this the thirties. This is deep in the woods in Virginia. It\u2019s active. Now I don\u2019t know any particular incorporated branch or chapter of the Klan. But you know for a fact the Klan in our there. So they get back home\u2026 by the way my Uncle Willie had a famous quote, we\u2019ll discuss that off camera. That can\u2019t be discussed on camera. That would be a bit too much. Even for me. Um, but I will share with you when we cut the camera off.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[9:50] Natalie: Alright.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">Ty: So, um, they go back home. They tell the story. Uncle Willie like alright. He knows what it is. They coming. \u201cYou just split a white boy\u2019s face.&#8221; Uncle Willie got the gage, sitting on the porch. They come by later, but Uncle Willie was a black man of respect out there even back then. White men didn\u2019t mess with him. For whatever reason. I don\u2019t know. My grandfather never told me just somethings are just imperative you just. And they came and said, \u201cElam, we need your nephew.\u201d Uncle Willie said, \u201cNah, you can\u2019t have him.\u201d I don\u2019t want to keep capping or start capping I don\u2019t know how far\u2026 that was the end of it obviously. But to end the story, grandfather was in Norfolk.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[10:47] Natalie: You said he was in Norfolk.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[10:49] Ty: State. He went. Well he was\u2026 Norfolk has a military out there so he was there and I don\u2019t know if he was leaving or coming in. But he said he was in a\u2026 like a Five-and-Dime store. Like an old\u2026 what would a Five-and-Dime be now? It\u2019s like a little convenience store type, but back in the day you would have a section with the newspapers and the magazines and that\u2019s kind of\u2026 you don\u2019t really see that as much anymore, but even like if you went into Woolworths that would have its own section. So he says he\u2019s in this little Five and Dime and he looks in the back of the store and he sees some eyes looking at him. Didn\u2019t recognize the man, the white man, but he recognized the scar that came down his face from his forehead. They kind of looked at each other and it was what it was. And that\u2019s the end of my little story. But this is something I didn\u2019t ponder until like yesterday or today. This morning. If the story goes how it went so many times back then. There\u2019d be no me. My grandfather would never have made it to adolescence. He\u2019d never have started a family. He would have never went and fought for his country in the segregated army. But Willie Elam had that much stain back in the thirties. That the white man came for his nephew and Willie told them no and there was no retaliation at any point. Obviously but that was\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[12:37] Natalie: It\u2019s so interesting like those little pockets of life. Where we learn this one thing that it\u2019s black and white literally and figuratively, it\u2019s black and white. But within these little communities there are like these exceptions or these moments in life or luck sometimes where just that one moment that one decision, that one person changes the whole future of a family, of a person.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[13:02] Ty: Yeah, they said Willie Elam had a lot of, lot of respect out there. And it\u2019s crazy because the one millionaire in the family Wesley Elam, the late Wesley Elam Sr. he made his bones in Carolina Research Triangle area. He owned about I think three McDonald\u2019s and I\u2019m pretty sure that\u2019s a ninety-ten split how they do the franchise-y thing. So he ran three, he owned three McDonald\u2019s in the Raleigh, Durham Chapel Hill area. He\u2019s like the big guy out of the family he was. I know he helped out my mother when she needed for the house that she owned that I lived in Virginia. But that was his son, but that was my grandfather\u2019s <i>lude-dude<\/i>. So my grandfather had a big part in Wesley being who he was, but I\u2019m pretty sure that was Willie\u2019s son. So that\u2019s, my grandfather was that type of man of respect. A lot of great things he did in life. He was one of the first black selected to the Bridgehampton, Long Island school board and he did a lot for black people out in that area of Long Island, because people think about the Hamptons they think about the elite and that\u2019s true, but the elite can\u2019t run a town or city as far as who works in the store, who works in the field. Who does this and that. So, it\u2019s a lot of black folk out there that never had really much any money that\u2019s just where they were and he did a lot keeping that high school opened that my mother graduated from. This K through12 with like a hundred-and-something kids. They wanted to end that school five, six, seven times. But a lot of his efforts helped back in the day and they still fight that good fight. But that\u2019s my lineage on that so there\u2019s no me. Tyrone doesn\u2019t meet Shareon in Virginia Union his freshman year. Meet that senior Delta and go head over heels cause she would have never been there if it wasn\u2019t for my grandfather and his Uncle Willie Elam. So\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[15:27] Natalie: Wow.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[15:28] Ty: And I couldn\u2019t think any like, uh, special quote stories. Anything like that. I didn\u2019t\u2026 that was the only story\u2026. And that\u2019s the reason Nat why it took me so long\u2026 Should I go with this story? Cause I don\u2019t know if it really fits the criteria how she really said it. But you know me and you know what I\u2019m about. So when I let you know that my grandfather had a big hand in raising me and that was the man who raised him then you can get a little insight on to how I\u2019m the person that I am.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[15:55] Natalie: Definitely.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[15:55] Ty: Unabashedly and unapologetically and proudly.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[15:59] Natalie: Yeah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[16:00] Ty: It\u2019s funny. I was talking to my lady and I was like, \u201cYou know I can\u2019t say that I haven\u2019t in my life had my issues. My self-confident issues things like that.\u201d You know when you growing up? Growing up an academic kid in the church house-hold and I grew up in a tough era. So I had my little issues, self-confidence issues when I was younger which they eliminated\u2026 they evaporated a long time ago, but one thing I never in my life\u2026 ever once\u2026 I want to say this as a forty-two year old, hopefully forty-three year old black man in two weeks in America. I\u2019ve never for one second of my life, one nano second ever been ashamed of my blackness. Not just the fact that I am a black man I mean the complexion of my skin. Everything. The grate of my hair. Everything. I have always loved and embraced my blackness and always will. I couldn\u2019t\u2026 and you know I\u2019m a historian. I could go back before 1619 you know that. I wouldn\u2019t trade a damn thing. Even when I look at my struggle. Our struggles. If I could do it again, send me out a black boy from Shareon and Tyrone. No doubt. Never. Archie Warren has a lot to do with that. Black on both sides like Most Def said [unintelligible]<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[17:41] Natalie: And is he the one who told you this story?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[17:45] Ty: Archie?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[17:46] Natalie: Yeah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[17:47] Ty: Yes. Yes.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[17:48] Natalie: And do you remember how old you were when you first heard this story?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[17:51] Ty: Man. Young. See the thing you got to understand about my grandfather. You know I\u2019m an orator so I had to get it from somebody. One thing to him everything was a life lesson with him. Like I wanted to tell you another story, but it was so bland. Like just to.. while we talking just another\u2026 So when we moved to Virginia, right? Um, he bought this beautiful. He bought this beautiful brick home. Three bedrooms, four bathrooms with another bedroom in the basement. Home had a damn two car garage. It was brick. It was part of the structure. It had no damn doors on it.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[18:31] Natalie: [laughs]<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[18:32] Ty: No doors. So one of my chores was to sweep the, as Archie Warren would say, \u201cguh-rage\u201d. It wasn\u2019t garage, it was \u201cguh-rage\u201d. Mind you when I first moved there I was like ten. Stayed with them for about three years that\u2019s when I was a roomie with my little cousin, the Marine. Then my mother bought a house and I moved with my mother. It\u2019s a whole lot with that, but that was for the best. Um, but even when I was in high school like if I wanted\u2026 not even if I wanted to get away from my home, but just cause I loved my grandparents that much and they had such a hand in my life. I would go there for weekend. Or somedays granted I used to, the way Halifax County is. The elementary bus also picks up older kids and dumps them to another bus that goes to the middle school and high school so it was the same bus route. So I could still take the bus and get to high school from their house with no problem and the bus drivers knew me so I could do that. Seventeen years old. Full scholarship on the way to university, all that. You know what my job if I got off that bus at four o\u2019clock on a Tuesday evening? Soon as I got in the house, put my books down? \u201cAight, Doc. Good to see you, now go sweep that guh-rage.\u201d<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[19:56] Natalie: [laughs]<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[19:58] Ty: Now, Nat. I bullshitted on that garage my whole life that I swept it. I probably only gave maybe only one decent good effort filled sweep because they had big good Roadmaster which was a big\u2026 it was a big ass garage and it always had a truck and a car in it. So I wasn\u2019t getting down on my knees with the push broom and hell no. I\u2019m sweeping the outside and sweeping off to the little cement pavement on to the grass. I\u2019m not even picking it up. I don\u2019t\u2026 who cares. My grandfather would always come out. Now, when I was ten, eleven years old and it wasn\u2019t to his liking I might have gotten my ass whooped. But at seventeen, nah. We men. He\u2019d come out and look and he always said one thing Nat. He would say, \u201cDoc, never half way do a job.\u201d And I don\u2019t know if I ever told you that at Ebenezer but, not you personally, but cause I know you go a hundred. But that\u2019s just part of my work ethic. That was instilled in me from a very young age. Never half way do a job cause if you gon\u2019 have way do a job you not doing nothing. You wasting everyone\u2019s time. Somebody going to have to come behind you and do the same job that you failed at. \u201cSo if you\u2019re going to do it son, do it a hundred percent.\u201d Another thing he taught me along that line, was and this has a big play in like the sports world today. Cause I look at athletes he says, \u201cson if you sign a contract you work to the terms of that contract. You don\u2019t get an attitude and decide that you don\u2019t want to work because all the sudden you don\u2019t like the contract. You signed it. You work to the terms of it. Now when it\u2019s over and it\u2019s time to renegotiate, then you go in there and get the dollar you\u2019re looking for. But if you sign that contract you don\u2019t bitch and complain. You go work.\u201d That\u2019s Archie Warren. Willie Elam instilled that in him. He passed it to me. So it\u2019s was like\u2026 well he passed it to my uncles too. And then it got passed to me when I was like the fifth child because I spent so much time with them. But, yeah those are the men that really and of course I never met Uncle Willie. He was dead long before I came along. But he\u2019s in me.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[22:25] Natalie: Yeah. And going back to the original story. You said you were young when you first heard it, right?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[22:33] Ty: Probably, uh, definitely before adolescence.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[22:35] Natalie: Okay, do you remember your initial reaction? Did it like stick with you? Or\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[22:41] Ty: When you that young\u2026 See that\u2019s the thing with it Nat. When you\u2019re that young, no. It doesn\u2019t resonate. When you ten, eleven years old you know a little bit about history you just getting\u2026 you\u2019re being taught history. I\u2019ll also say as a side, history should be taught at home first. Especially with black folks. I don\u2019t care what they doing, banning critical race theory. That\u2019s stupid because that\u2019s not really what\u2019s being taught. That\u2026 this is a side bar. I\u2019ve always campaigned for black folks to teach they black children about themselves. If anything you go on in the schools and check the teachers, \u201cNo that\u2019s not true.\u201d And that\u2019s what I\u2019m trying to instill in Ryan right now. Like know your history. She\u2019s on the way.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[23:23] Natalie: [laughs]<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[23:24] Ty: But, um nah when you that age it doesn\u2019t. It can\u2019t because you don\u2019t know enough. That\u2019s why the older you get the story hits even harder. So that\u2019s why now at forty-two it\u2019s like when I think back to that story it\u2019s like damn. And I always, that story always popped in and out of my mind. And it\u2019s not something I think about often, but when you asked me about doing this and I was trying to think about stories. I was thinking on both sides like I wasn\u2019t just jumping on one side of the family. And that another thing like I don\u2019t know enough about my Thompson side. I know things but I don\u2019t have enough to really give you something. Like I don\u2019t wanna just be patchy, nah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[24:11] Natalie: So then what does that story mean to you today?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[24:14] Ty: Everything. Cause that\u2019s who I am. I would have been Archie. I just might not have made it to the second day. But I probably would have got killed that night. What? Especially at that age. Like I had a gap in my [laughs] being in which kinda like when I got to middle school it was a lot of pressure on academics and, \u201cyou can\u2019t get in trouble\u201d\u2026 \u201cyou can\u2019t do this.\u201d I grew up in an abused household so I fought a lot. I fought a lot. From like age eleven, twelve down to like five, six. I fought a lot. So we getting it in that day. So, I know it had a lot\u2026 it had whole lot because it\u2019s who I am.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[25:03] Natalie: Hm.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[25:03] Ty: It\u2019s just an extension. It\u2019s just\u2026 look at the lineage come straight from that mold.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[25:14] Natalie: And within your family, you said your grandfather used to always tell you stories, right?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[25:18] Ty: Yeah<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[25:20] Natalie: Apart from his own life, did he ever share with you stories about other family members, or anyone else? Were stories important in your household or knowing family history? Was that something that was important?<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><b> <\/b>\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[25:33] Ty: It was very important because him being a service man now. Like other family members per se, not like particular stories. Maybe things about them but a lot of our stories was about a lot of what he would tell me was like going back to his younger days. Like his service days like fighting in the segregated army in World War II and being on the other side of the world. My passion for baseball comes from him. So a lot of baseball stories about when I think he was at Fort per say and he met um.\u2026 I don\u2019t know if they traveled through or whatever, but he saw Willie Mays and Hank Aaron play ball before the major leagues. Before blacks were allowed and that was what? 47&#8242;, Jackie Robinson, so of course that was war time. He talked about how he, like a lot of, he was a taught man so a lot of things didn\u2019t make him impassioned or excite him. But when he spoke baseball, a lot of baseball stories and just correlations to life. Like one thing he would say, he played first base. He said, \u201cDoc,\u201d and referring to the ball being thrown to you as a first baseman he said, \u201c they can get too high, but they can\u2019t get too low.\u201d You don\u2019t have to use baseball for that.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[27:08] Natalie: You are your grandfather. [laughs]<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[27:10] Ty: [laughs] You see, like really like. They can get too high, but they can\u2019t get too low. So how do you remove baseball and apply that to life? The things that are out of your reach, that you can\u2019t control you don\u2019t worry about. But the things within your grasp in your control then you should be able to have something to do with the success of that. That\u2019s kinda like wax on, wax off with Mr. Miyagi and Daniel son. You just, it doesn\u2019t have to be baseball. So like a lot of, I don\u2019t know if they\u2019re parables or what, but a lot of things came from\u2026 another story he had a chance to make it to the major leagues. He had a chance to make it to the major leagues, um they were playing a white team, and this is like semi-pro ball because Zuni had they own team. His cousin Richard Warren that the only other name that I could remember, but they had their own team. So they were playing a white team from like Norfolk and my grandfather said he was two for three. He was up one for one, got another hit, he had one hit and then he got another hit and he was trying to stretch a single into a double. And he said he got to second and he said, \u201cDoc, clear as day I was safe.\u201d He said, \u201cthat umpire he called me out.\u201d It was a white umpire. And my grandfather cussed him out to a fairly well. He got put out the game. And they went with the white pitcher. He went two for three of off. He never regretted that one day. He said, \u201c I would have cussed him again, Doc.\u201d He said, \u201c I was in there, man. I\u2019m safe. What? No.\u201d A lot of baseball and life and just the realities, like. My pride comes from him. My political awareness. I can\u2019t give him all the credit, cause my father actually is a very learned man. He\u2019s just a hot head. But my passion for news. You run up on my father right now I\u2019m sure he has probably about three, four <i>Daily&#8217;s<\/i> in front of him. When he used to come up to New York cause he lives in Charlotte, I think. But when he used to come to visit, come home. I come chill with him for a day or so. He had a <i>Charlotte News Observer<\/i>, <i>USA Today<\/i>, <i>Daily News<\/i>, <i>Post<\/i>. Now of course the Charlotte paper he brought, but everything else.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[29:49] Natalie: You\u2019re breaking up\u2026 You said everything else..<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[29:54] Ty: [unintelligible] Just always. He was on it. So, I get a lot of that from my father but most of it I get from my grandfather just politics, man. Like, um he was just so tickled pink about George W. That was the last president before he passed. I think my Pop died in like 04\u2019, 05\u2019. I\u2019m not good with people\u2019s exact dates because even my, his wife my grandmother was my heart and soul and died from Alzheimer&#8217;s and I watched her go from a hundred to zero. Like that tore me apart, mentally. So them being sick and dying that\u2019s\u2026 and of course when one goes, the other goes. She actually out lived him. She was a vegetable but she outlived him. I did get to spend a lot of time with him right before he died because I spent that spring break with him. But like 04\u2019, 05\u2019 I know so, it was W. Around the middle of his first term or second term. But, um, he would call me and, um, \u201cyou see your president, Doc.\u201d I\u2019d be like, \u201cman that\u2019s not my president Poppy.\u201d He\u2019d say \u201c You voted for him.\u201d I said \u201c I did not I voted for\u2026\u201d Was Al Gore in 2000, yeah. Yeah. Just, he would that would be our talk. You know old black men don\u2019t, \u201cI love you,\u201d and [hugging gesture]\u2026 nah. But we could talk about sports or politics and you sneak the love in. I\u2019m not that person. Like I\u2019ve evolved. Like I got the best of him and like I am loving toward mine. But I do incorporate a lot of that too. Talk about something concrete and get abstract with it kinda, but he, yeah. Him, man. And I hated my grandfather from age ten to twelve. Like when we first moved down there and he wanted to make me Farmer Joe. Fuck, I don\u2019t know about no damn garden. C\u2019mon man. Killing me, man. But I appreciate him so much more because I grind like I\u2019m a behaviorist now. I\u2019m at work in three hours and home. Never stop. Pandemic or not. He did a lot to incorporate that, you know what I mean. To impart in me rather.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[32:25] Natalie: Hm, and just talking about history in general or the \u201cmain narrative\u201d, do you see yourself or your family reflected in history? In American history?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[32:39] Ty: I mean we\u2019re part of the black experience definitely. Did we have any Watershed moments? No, not that I can think of. I\u2019m still active though. You know, I\u2019m still up for that Pulitzer. But yeah, as far as being apart of the black experience, yes. Seventy-four percent of blacks never own a home in America. My grandfather owned two. That\u2019s my next goal. Credit rating is a 763 was a 770. Started another credit card, so. But that\u2019s the goal, like, yeah. What is winning? Raising a family, owning a home, leaving a legacy, definitely. And I\u2019m not big on the Waterloos or the those big events, single events. It\u2019s the things in between the big single events in life that make it. Single events is just get the highlights it\u2019s the everyday things that are most important to me. I call them stolen moments. For me it\u2019s the stolen moments not the. Like I\u2019m not big on birthdays not cause I have something against birthdays it\u2019s everyday of life is a blessing and a celebration. So I was born on this day so this day is more special then\u2026 okay\u2026 If that\u2019s how you feel, I don\u2019t. I\u2019m all 365 is a birthday. I\u2019m here.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[34:04] Natalie: Yeah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[34:06] Ty: I could be gone. I could have been gone a couple times for health reasons and other reasons. So\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[34:16] Natalie: And, as a society\u2026 as this modern society do you find that people are becoming more interested in finding who they are? Who their family was? History.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[34:29] Ty: Not at all. Everything\u2019s trending in the other direction. Who cares? The young kids now, the ones we have a hand\u2026 no. No. Now is it a hundred percent, no. It\u2019s always going to be a\u2026 like you. You a jewel. Already and you still a youngin\u2019 there\u2019s not too many of you. The thing about the yougin\u2019s, youngin\u2019s, under you, I\u2019m still with them. I\u2019m still in the trenches, no. They care about the sneakers, they just. And I\u2019m not going to be that critical because maybe at fifteen, sixteen years I was about the sneakers and the this and the that and the girls, but I had a grip on reality. Like I knew what was going on outside of my bubble. They don\u2019t. And, their history? No. Because I mean, I\u2019m going to say with African American kids, no. Because the things that they tolerate in society, and I\u2019m not talking about my radical [puts fist in air], my people that\u2019s out in the street, I\u2019m talking about the average kid on social media. They focus is not on those type of things, man. Like they and it\u2019s not being imparted in them from young ages like us. Certain things were instilled in us so we, even if we pushed it away we had to embrace it at some point, they not even getting it. So how are they, why they care about their life if they, you know how many rappers I\u2019ve seen on Vlad TV talking about they\u2019ll never date a dark-skinned black women or have babies by her. Come on man. You love who you love, I don\u2019t care if she white as the damn hospital sheet. If you love her. But if that\u2019s your sole purpose to reproduce is to have a light-skinned baby and you think they\u2026 Aight man. I see a lot of that. So, no. And then they history getting white washed everyday. But their parents don\u2019t know any better so no. Two-hundred years it\u2019ll be a small percentage of black folk and ethnic folk really holding on to their culture and their tradition. I think. Because\u2026\u00a0<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[36:57] Natalie: Do you think there\u2019s a better way to engage these children or it\u2019s just if you don\u2019t start from when their young it\u2019s kinda too late.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[37:04] Ty: Yeah, you don\u2019t. And like I said nothing is a hundred percent anything there\u2019s always a chance one day by chance a kid that\u2019s totally oblivious to every fucking thing, excuse me, will be like,\u201cOh yeah let me tap in.\u201d But it has to be a moment. It has to be an epiphany. The catalyst has to be something almost catastrophic, almost. Life changing. Let me go in this direction now. Let me look this way. Just doesn\u2019t happen when all they care about is clout and followers and slaves to this man [holds up cellphone]. That\u2019s what I see. You have to instill it in yours early or if you don\u2019t you have to have enough sense to get to educators who will instill it in them. Like the Harlem Children\u2019s Zone, like. Lord forbid I go on record saying something great and they have a scandal next week. But, being a Harlemite and being in Harlem when it was being built. It\u2019s just aesthetics from what I saw they\u2019re building this nice facility, but then to actually learn about it and the creator. That Bronx, that great man from the Bronx. I don\u2019t know his name so I\u2019m not going to fake. It\u2019s just what they do. Now from age three basically they start cultivating and they have a certain block. A block out of Harlem, not a literal street block but on a map, a block. Like kids from this zone to zone are eligible. From age three they start cultivating them and they keep up with them and at eighteen, and damn near when they graduate they all got scholarships, but it\u2019s being instilled in them from the time that they, what do they say is the best time for a person to pick up a language? When they young. I got a Colombian friend that made sure he didn\u2019t teach his baby a word of English. He said I\u2019mma let the get to school and learn. I make sure you\u2019re fluent in Spanish. That kid just graduated high school last year, he\u2019s fully bilingual. He\u2019ll always, and that the thing that people don\u2019t realize. People like you, that have two languages and I love people that are able to sign. You\u2019ll always have work. Anywhere you work. My man Euris, my man is Dominican brother, they in Alaska. He just takes at the courthouse translating.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[39:37] Natalie: Wow.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[39:42] Ty: [unintelligible] He might be the only person, out here that speaks fluent Spanish and you have a market. I don\u2019t even know how we got there but, with tradition and stuff, nah. Nah. Nah.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[39:58] Natalie: Okay, and last question. For you personally, is there anything about your family history you\u2019d like to know more about?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[40:06] Ty: Everything. Like I wish I could trace it back to Africa on both sides. And I\u2019m sure you probably can on Ancestry. When I have the money to play with it I might. See with us it only goes a couple generations. That\u2019s another thing, black folks don\u2019t live too long. So your oldest reference piece might just be in their seventies or approaching their seventies. Ain\u2019t too many ninety-something year folk in our family we can just still with their wit that they can sit back and, \u201c\u2026get a notepad boy. Let me talk.\u201d And as we progress there is less interaction where as we can sit and be like, \u201cyo, talk.\u201d See that was a thing in my era. You shut the hell up and listen. We didn\u2019t have voice. So you did a lot of listening. That didn\u2019t always have the best effects for other reasons, but for that specific purpose, it did. You had to sit back and listen. Is less of that now. Everyone has a phone in front of them. It always goes back to communication. How can you really sit back and have these types of sessions when there\u2019s a phone ringing or somebody on social media, somebody this and that. How can you really\u2026And that\u2019s all part of the plan from what I\u2019m seeing. Liquor em\u2019 up and what Larry Holmes said he was going to do to Gerry Cooney before the fight when they asked them. He said, \u201cI\u2019m going to get him drunk and then I\u2019m gon\u2019 mug em\u2019.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Basically mean he\u2019s going to set them up, set them up, set them up, BOOM. And he\u2019s going to drop the ham on them. We get em\u2019 drunk and imma mug them and that\u2019s what they are doing to society. We give you all this bullshit to concentrate on. Take your mind off of what\u2019s really real, and if we do that long enough nobody will remember what\u2019s really real. They have no point of reference. And if we get in the classroom and, uh, let this revisionist history go through then they won\u2019t have any reference point at all. And there will be no more me\u2019s around to tell them about 1619 or the 1877 Compromise. How many people don\u2019t know about the compromise of 1877, Nat?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[42:23] Natalie: [laughs]<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[42:24] Ty: And that set the stage for the South to be the South that it is now. And it assured the Reconstruction ended abruptly and [holds up the book <i>Three African American Classics<\/i>] <i>Souls of Black Folk<\/i>, if you never read it. It\u2019s kind of a companion piece so you got to read <i>Up From Slavery<\/i> and the <i>Souls of Black Folk <\/i>together.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[42:52] Natalie: Okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[42:52] Ty: One is Booker T., one\u2019s Dubois , Dubois. W.E.B he speaks about Reconstruction in the South. The Compromise of 1877, that Rutherford B. Hayes if I\u2019m correct. The backroom agreement they made to let the South, ya can have that. You let me do me. And that meant the Reconstruction was over and they had been robbing us during the Reconstruction anyway. If you read <i>Souls of Black Folk<\/i> he\u2019ll tell you how money that was supposed to be alluded here wasn\u2019t here, land wasn\u2019t. And it depended on who the white man was. Who was running that particular, as far as the Freedmen\u2019s Bureau who was running that section or whatever because some of those men were justified and righteous and did the right thing and made sure black folks did their thing. Then some were like lining their pockets and some were all out, \u201cfuck em\u2019 we don\u2019t care about them.\u201d And the sad part is that all of the got gobbled up irrespective, it got gobbled up in the 1877 Compromise. Even the good deeds. That\u2019s why they trying to get them black folks their land back down in South Carolina. That\u2019s their land. It was given to them and taken back. Now, I\u2019m not who I am, and giving a shit about stuff like that without my grandfather. He\u2019s the reason why I\u2019m passionate about that and if anybody is listening, especially black, I\u2019ll talk to anybody. I\u2019ll talk to the door. If the door is listening. But preferably a living black person, know your history, and telling these black parents, teach your children. And if you can\u2019t get them to me and for a decent, fair price, they\u2019ll learn.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[44:39] Natalie: You froze for a second. What did you say?<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[44:41] Ty: I said, that\u2019 that.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[44:43] Natalie: Oh, okay.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[44:43] Ty: Oh, I said. If you can\u2019t teach them. Get them to me and I\u2019ll\u2026for a fair price.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[44:49] Natalie: [laughs] Alright. Well, thank you so much and thank you for sharing that story. Even though to you it seems small it\u2019s not really because there\u2019s so many layers to it. And knowing you personally, it\u2019s a gem of a story. To see like your origin, like where all this comes from.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[45:07] Ty: I don\u2019t think small of it. I don\u2019t think little of it. It\u2019s heavy to me, it\u2019s just I don\u2019t know how heavy it can be\u2026<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[45:12] Natalie: It wasn\u2019t a very, very dramatic story.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[45:15] Ty: Yeah, it wasn\u2019t.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[45:16] Natalie: It\u2019s exactly, kind of what I\u2019m looking for, though. It doesn\u2019t always have to be this dramatic thing. It\u2019s just these stories that we share with each other that not knowing it in the moment, it\u2019s going to affect us in the way we think and the way we see ourselves. The way we carry ourselves and who we share our own stories with and the way we do it. So that\u2019s the whole gist of this project. Even if it\u2019s not a big dramatic story to you, to someone who\u2019s listening, to someone who stumbles upon this that can relate or they learn something new and that\u2019s what\u2019s most important to just tell the stories. Even if they\u2019re not the big movie stories they\u2019re stories and they happened and they\u2019re important. But is there anything else you\u2019d like to add before we end the interview.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[46:04] Ty: When it\u2019s all shaped, done, edited, cut, pressed, just like see everything. Not just mine. I\u2019d like to see how it translates, but every. I want all the perspectives.<\/p><p class=\"p4\">[46:17] Natalie: Okay, definitely. Perfect. Alright then.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-208dacf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"208dacf\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;none&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6ba4e65c\" data-id=\"6ba4e65c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b7962b7 elementor-invisible elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b7962b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInDown&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Project Support<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-1bc2b226 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"1bc2b226\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-58c6d8a2 elementor-invisible\" data-id=\"58c6d8a2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInLeft&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-707ed245 elementor-widget-tablet__width-initial elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"707ed245\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>This project is supported by a grant from the <a href=\"http:\/\/njhumanities.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New Jersey Council for the Humanities<\/a> with funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this website or in our programs do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-7fc6db94 elementor-invisible\" data-id=\"7fc6db94\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;animation&quot;:&quot;fadeInRight&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40f14f6a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"40f14f6a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 30-04-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"418\" src=\"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/NJCouncilfortheHumanitiesLogo.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-4091\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/NJCouncilfortheHumanitiesLogo.png 750w, https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/NJCouncilfortheHumanitiesLogo-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interview with Ty Thompson by Natalie Saldarriaga. Part of the Ra\u00edces Stories of the Ancestors, Stories of Healing Series: Family Ties Oral History Project.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14848,"template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"categories":[1547],"tags":[1482,1012,301,1194,1484],"topics":[],"location":[],"recording_date":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oral-history\/16739"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oral-history"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/oral-history"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oral-history\/16739\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17134,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/oral-history\/16739\/revisions\/17134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16739"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=16739"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=16739"},{"taxonomy":"recording_date","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/raicesculturalcenter.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/recording_date?post=16739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}